Wrench for cylindrical headed objects



March 8, 1949. R. E, DEMING 2,463,525

' WRENCH FOR CYLINDRICAL HEADED OBJECTS 7 Filed March 12, 1946 FIG. I 4

4 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. ROBERT E. DEMING ATTORNEY 1 Patented Mar. 8, 1949 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE WRENCH FOR CYLINDRICAL HEADED OBJECTS 1 1 Claim.

This invention relates to wrenches and more particularly to wrenches ofthe strap type.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved wrench of suchconstruction as to facilitate the installation and removal ofcylindrical articles lacking adequate wrench faces.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved wrench of thestrap type adapted to snugly engage a screw-threaded article to beinstalled or removed and having means for engaging the article toprevent relative rotation of the wrench; to provide an improved wrenchdevice, of the character described, having retractable means forgripping the article so as to permit installation and removal of saidarticle without marring or otherwise damaging the same; and to provideimproved elements and arrangements thereof in a wrench of the characterdescribed and for the purposes set forth.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, Ihave provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of whichis illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a. wrench embodying the features of the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the wrench with one of theretaining plates removed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the dog and lever for releasing thewrench.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

In Fig. 1, the numeral I designates a wrench of the strap type having abody 2 which includes an elongated handle 3 and a jaw portion or ring 4.The latter is preferably of substantially annular shape and has aportion thereof merging with and forming a part of the body 2. Anenlarged recess 5 is formed in the latter portion of the body and ringso as to open into the circular bore 6 of said ring. For reinforcing thebody, a pair of retaining plates 1 and 8 are secured in overlying andunderlying relation thereto by means of suitable screws 9 and It) so asto enclose a portion of the recess 5.

The wrench I is adapted to be employed in installing and removingcylindrical articles lacking adequate wrench faces of such character asto permit the use of conventional wrenches. In order to lock the article(not shown) within the bore 6 of the ring, gripping means in the form ofa cam or pawl II is mounted in the recess 5, as is most clearly shown inFig. 2. The cam II is journalled on a pivot pin II! which extendsthrough and is supported by the retaining plates. The cam includes aradial arm l3 which extends amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757)toward the ring bore and has its outer end serrated to provide aplurality of transverse serrations or teeth I4. It is preferable for theserrated end of the arm I2 to be curved on an arc eccentric to the axisof the pivot pin l2, whereby the counter-clockwise portion of said armis of increased length and projects into the ring bore.

A flat or leaf spring I5 engages the counterclockwise surface of the camarm I3 for urging the same in a clockwise direction and is preferablyanchored within a suitable opening or slot I6 formed in the bottom ofthe recess 5 (Fig. 2). The cam arm is normally maintained in alignmentwith the longitudinal axis of the handle 3 by the spring I5 so as toextend radially of the ring bore and counter-clockwise pivoting of saidarm is resisted by the tension of said spring. In this position, theportion of the cam arm of increased length projects into the ring boreso as to grip the surface of the article to be installed or removed.

In order to release the gripping means, a dog I1 is disposed in therecess 5 adjacent to and clockwise of said gripping means. As shown mostclearly in Fig. 3, the dog I! includes a pintle I8 which is journalledin the retaining plates and has an actuating lever l9 suitably fastenedto one of its ends, such as by a lock pin 20. By swinging the lever I9manually in a counter-clockwise direction, the dog I1 is engaged withthe adjacent surface of the cam arm I3 so as to pivot the same in thesame direction against the tension of the spring I5 and thereby move theserrated end of said arm out of the ring bore in order to permitengagement or disconnection of the wrench from the article to beinstalled or removed.

Operation The operation of a wrench constructed as described is asfollows:

The gripping means or cam II is retracted by swinging the lever IS in acounter-clockwise direction so as to engage the dog I1 with the adjacentsurface of said cam and thereby pivot said cam in a similar orcounter-clockwise direction (Fig. 1).

With the serrations or teeth I4 removed from the bore 6 of the ring orjaw portion 4, said ring may be readily engaged over the article to beremoved or installed. Upon release of the lever, the spring I5 urges thecam in a clockwise direction so as to engage its teeth with theperiphera surface of the article.

Due to the curvature or are of the arm end,

clockwise swinging of the entire wrench I causes the teeth to morefirmly grip the article. This gripping engagement in conjunction withthe tension of the spring prevents relative rotation between the wrenchand article when the former is swung in a. clockwise direction. When thewrench is turned'counter-clockwise, the pressure of the cam ll' againstthe article is relieved by virtue of the eccentric curvature of theteeth 14; and the wrench slips on the article in ratchet fashion. Inorder to apply and remove: the wrench from the article, the cam isretractediby actuating the lever in the same manner as describedhereinbefore.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it is susceptibleto modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I donot wish, therefore; to be limited by the disclosures set forth, butonly by the scope of the appended claim.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United. States of America for governmentalpurposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

A wrench. including a body consisting. .of an elongated handle and anannular ring on. the end of the handle, said body having a. recesswithin the external circumference of the ring communicating with thering bore and extending "from side to side of the body, retaining platesfastened tov opposite sides of the. body so as to reinforce the same andoverlie and underlie a portion of the recess, the edges of said platesbeing spaced from said ring bore, a serrated cam pivotally supported bythe retaining plates within said recess and having its serrated portionprojecting into said ring bore, a flat spring within the. recess forbiasing the cam in its projecting position, a dog p'ivotally supportedin said recess adjacent said cam, and a lever having connection with thedog for pivoting the same into engagement with the cam so as to swingsaid cam away from the ring bore against the bias of said spring.

ROBERT E. DEMING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 14,546 Walcott Mar. 25, 1856132,823 Gibbs Nov. 5, 1872 255,182 McNair Mar. 21, 1882 279,722Davenport June 19, v1883 931,160 Sturgis Aug. 17, 1909 1,110,980 AllenSept. 15, 1914 1,169,007 Chadwick Jan. 18, 1916 1,406,755 Peters Feb.14, 1922 1,593,947 Miller et al. July 27, 1926 1,761,988 Layhon June 3,1930 2,072,463 Mims Mar. 2, 1937 2,139,650 Anderson et al. Dec. 1-3,1938

